AST Launches Issuer Central

AST launches Issuer Central™, an enterprise solution with a component-based platform architecture that will bring together many of the core services corporate securities issuers require in one secure, centralized platform – an industry first. Issuer Central will transform the way corporate issuers understand their ownership by providing unprecedented insights and fostering greater collaboration among C-suite teams.

Issuer Central is a one-of-a-kind platform that will present multiple AST services – including Ownership Intelligence, Transfer Agency, and Proxy – as a comprehensive offering for senior management through a single dashboard. CEOs, CFOs, corporate secretaries, treasurers, investor relations teams and human resources professionals will all have access to the same rich data and can customize their dashboard view based on their unique needs.

Breaking New Ground on Ownership Intelligence

Issuer Central launches with the most comprehensive ownership data set currently available, providing companies with actionable intelligence about their shareholders. By leveraging proprietary data sets developed over decades by AST and its D.F. King & Co. subsidiary, the platform normalizes and integrates registered and street ownership information in one interface – which has never before been possible.

The new platform pairs seamlessly with AST’s existing Ownership Intelligence service and also allows users to customize their view of share ownership data according to their needs. Key functions include:

Showing issuers changes and trends in who owns, controls, buys and sells their shares;

“AST is uniquely positioned to develop this solution based on its many longstanding and cross-functional relationships with the issuers of corporate securities,” said Lou Cordone, SVP, AST Ownership Intelligence. “We know what an issuer wants and needs from ownership information and how that data can help drive action.”

An Integrated Vision

Throughout 2018, additional services, capabilities and data sets will be offered through Issuer Central, allowing for further data integration and engendering a whole new level of knowledge-sharing and teamwork within organizations.

Transfer Agency (TA): This service will provide AST’s TA clients with on-demand access to share registry and data intelligence. It will also create efficiencies by allowing for faster and more customizable configuration of reporting and a consolidated view of information.

Proxy: Powered by blockchain technology, this service will provide near real-time vote tabulation and reporting. The new interface presents issuers with greater access and transparency to campaign setup, status and results with user configurable reports. The solution supports AST’s current phone, IVR and proxy card voting options as well as a redesigned mobile-friendly shareholder voting portal. All sources are captured on the blockchain to ensure the data is accurate, immutable and secure.